Her Kinsman-Redeemer

by Darlene Tallman

  Hot kisses. Slow kisses. Wicked kisses. He was driving her mad, she thought, as his head descended between her legs, where she was already wet and waiting. “Cherub, hard-pressed to deny you when you’re so wet for me,” he whispered as his tongue lazily stroked around everywhere but where she wanted it, causing her to writhe and moan. “Ah, Cherub, did you want this?” he asked, as his tongue swiped through her folds to flick against her clit. Her moans egged him on and as he flung her legs over his shoulders, he added two fingers to the mix. It wasn’t long before her moans became louder as she came, squeezing his fingers in her hot, silky warmth. He continued his motions until she started to squirm and then moved up her body to draw her in for a deep kiss before he flopped on his back.

  “Uh, Zeke? You okay?” she questioned, rolling onto her side.

  “I will be, Cherub,” he responded as he scooped her so she was straddling him. While she was shy about this position, he loved watching her hair flying around her body and seeing her breasts sway. And when she came? The expression on her face always sent him over as well. “You’re going to ride tonight, Cherub,” he told her as she knelt and positioned him at her opening. Feeling her sink down onto his hot hard length had him hissing in appreciation. He kept his hands on her hips, allowing her to direct the pace and when she started her climb again, he used his hands to help her grind down to get the pressure she needed. Leaning up slightly, he grabbed a nipple in his mouth and began sucking and the sensations caused her to orgasm, throwing back her head as she undulated and moved on him. With a shout, he emptied himself in her and then caught her as she collapsed onto his chest, both breathing hard. A quick kiss to her forehead and he said, “Love you, Cherub, gets better every time if that’s possible.”

  “I love you too, Zeke. Was that make-up sex?”

  He couldn’t help it, he started chuckling and then started laughing. “Cherub, if that was your idea of an argument, then I know how well-suited we are because I really try not to argue, yeah? But I need you as much as you need me and I think that as long as we’re careful, we’ll be just fine.”

  “Mmm, I agree, handsome. Could have had something to do with my mood, too. I was getting kind of cranky.”

  “I noticed, Cherub, and understood. We all are just trying to make things easier for you right now with all that you have going on is all.”

  “Zeke, I am working from home. In bed, at that. You take the girls and pick them up. Thad has been helping by keeping the girls’ and his room clean and mowing the yard. Eva or Marta or one of the other old ladies has been bringing food, or you’ve been cooking or picking up take-out. What on earth do I need made easier?”

  “We may have gone a bit overboard.”

  “A bit? I’d say so, yes. You know the doctor wouldn’t steer us wrong and I love how you take care of me, but I cannot go through four more months of this!”

  “We’ll figure it out, Cherub, yeah?”

  She sighed. It was the only concession she was going to get so she decided to change subjects. “Um, you still able to go with me in the morning to take Cailyn?”

  “Yeah, Cherub. Definitely have noticed something going on and now she has the weird tics showing up as well.”

  “I’m doing what I can not to be worried, Zeke, I really am, because I know it does no good to worry.”

  “Shhh, Cherub. Let me pray for our girl, yeah?” he whispered, drawing her close. At her nod of assent, he began praying aloud, not just for Cailyn, but also for their child.

  ***

  The next day at the pediatrician’s office, Angelina detailed all the little things she had noticed going on with Cailyn, but asserted that she had never acted sick or run a fever. The doctor did a full physical, as well as a blood work-up. It was when he dropped something and Cailyn barely flinched that he got an inkling of what might be going on. Telling them to wait one second, he went to another room and came back with another instrument and at their questioning looks, he said, “Needed something stronger. I think, and this is just a guess, that she has lost some of her hearing due to an untreated ear infection.”

  “But…but she’s not had one,” Angelina said, a perplexed look on her face.

  “Sometimes, kids have little to no symptoms. I’m going to get you over to the ENT in the practice to see if what I suspect is the case or not. Hang on, I want her in today, if possible.”

  They waited while the doctor went to place a call to his colleague and when he came back in twenty minutes later with a smile on his face, they knew he had accomplished getting them in to see him. “You’re all set, go up to the fifth floor, they’re waiting for you in the auditory lab, he wants to do a hearing test first before he sees you, okay?”

  Thanking him, they took the little girl up to the fifth floor then had to sit out in the waiting room while the technician took her into a room and did the hearing tests that the specialist wanted done. Thirty minutes after that, they were waiting in an exam room when the ENT doctor walked in. “Hello, I’m Dr. Colt, you must be Cailyn?” he asked the little girl. At her nod, he said, “And who are these two grown-ups with you, Cailyn?”

  “Momma and Papa Zeke.”

  “Okay, well, I’m going to talk to them for a few minutes and explain what we did and the results,” he told the little girl. “Why don’t you go with Nurse Gina to our playroom?”

  At a nod from her mother, Cailyn jumped down and went to the nurse who led her out of the room.

  “Here’s what I found,” the doctor started. “She has underdeveloped sinus cavities and that has caused fluid to back up into her ears. Also, the ENT noted that she has unusually large tonsils and adenoids. The combination of the two is giving her what we both believe is a temporary hearing loss.”

  Angelina looked at Zeke before saying, “What can we do to fix this for her?”

  “I’d like to take her tonsils and adenoids out, as well as put tubes in her ears. That should release the fluid and open her ears. Once she’s healed, we’ll do another hearing test and we will also continue to monitor. We can’t make the sinus cavities bigger, but we do have the ability to ensure that her ears stay ‘open’ so that she can hear the world around her.”

  “How…how soon?” Angelina asked, mind already working to switch things around.

  “I’d like to do it tomorrow if possible.”

  “To-tomorrow?”

  “Yes. Nothing against you or your parenting skills, but she’s in that formative phase where she’ll start slipping back if she can’t hear, and I don’t want that for her,” the doctor said.

  Zeke put his arm around Angelina, saying, “That’s fine, doctor. Do you admit the night before or what?”

  And with that, he took over, handling all the minor details. They would go home and pack her bag and bring her up later that evening after dinner. Angelina would be allowed to stay with her in her room. Zeke would watch Melora overnight and Eva would come in the morning so Zeke could get to the hospital. “Let’s go tell our girl, Cherub,” he finally said, seeing the dazed look on her face.

  “What are we going to tell her?”

  “That the doctor figured out why she can’t hear so well and tomorrow morning, she’ll take a nap while he fixes it, yeah? We’ll keep it simple,” he told her, giving her a quick kiss.

  ***

  Once they were through with the doctor, they went and got Cailyn and on the way home, Angelina explained what the doctor wanted to do. Her heart broke when her daughter asked, “Momma, will I be able to hear better?” She had never known she couldn’t hear well, and now looking back, she could see all the signs; her standing off away from other kids, not engaging with anyone much except Melora.

  “Yes, my sweet girl, the doctor thinks this will help you hear better,” she finally said, choking back tears. “Zeke will stay with Mellie and I’ll be staying with you, okay?”

  “Okay, Momma.”

  They got home and she went and packed a bag for herself and Cailyn. While in her room, she felt a
rms go around her waist as a voice whispered in her ear, “Gonna miss having you beside me tonight, Cherub.”

  Turning, she smiled up at him as she pulled his head down for a kiss. “I’ll miss you too, handsome.”

  “Thinking we might have time for a quickie, yeah?” he said, pulling her close so she could feel him against her belly.

  Pulling away, she went down the hall to the girls’ room and saw they were playing. “You girls stay in your room for a bit, yeah? Momma needs to get cleaned up before we head back with Cailyn.”

  Melora looked at her and said, “Okay, Momma. Can we watch a movie?”

  “Yes, baby, whatever you want, just stay in here, okay?”

  The two little girls went to their TV and picked out a movie from the rack and handed it to her. She got them set up and then went back to her room where she closed and locked the door. Walking over to where he was sitting on the end of the bed, she said, “Now, what were you saying about a quickie?”

  Grinning, he pulled her down so she straddled him, then scooted them back on the bed. Her sundress made access easy and he all but ripped her panties off while she pulled the dress over her head. When all that remained was her bra and his jeans, he rolled her off him so he could remove his jeans and boxers and rolling back, he saw she had taken off her bra. He took a moment to absorb how she looked, belly burgeoning with his child, breasts enlarged, and her glorious hair all around her. With a low growl, he practically pounced on her, pulling her close as he began kissing her.

  Knowing they had little time but wanting to make it good for her, he reached between them and was shocked at how wet for him she was. “Cherub, you’re soaked,” he whispered as he nuzzled behind her ear.

  “Mmhm,” she moaned as she ran her hands along his side and down to fondle his cock. “Natural reaction for me whenever you’re near and naked. The pregnancy hormones help, too,” she said, giggling.

  He kept them on their sides but lifted her leg over his hip so he could slide right in. She moaned in pleasure, it seemed that this angle had him hitting another spot that she liked. As he set a rapid pace, she found herself clinging to him and when he leaned down and captured a nipple in his mouth, she came hard, milking his cock with everything she had. He rolled them without breaking a connection, bringing both her legs around his waist and he continued his thrusts, causing her to climb again. Reaching between them, he gathered a bit of the wetness and stroked across her clit-once, twice, three times-before she shattered beneath him once again. The sensation of her hot, tight pussy clenching caused him to come and he did so with a roar before claiming her mouth in a bruising kiss.

  ***

  One quick shower later, and they were both dressed again and ready to head back up to the hospital with Cailyn. Before leaving their room, he gathered her in his arms and said, “Love you Cherub. Love you and the girls more than I can say.”

  She smiled up at him and kissed him lightly, saying, “Never thought I’d fall in love again, Zeke. I love you so very much it scares me sometimes. You get there when you can, I know you’ve got club stuff to take care of first thing.”

  “Preacher’s already on it and Eva is coming to get Melora tonight. They’ll bring Thad up in the morning, but tonight? I’m going to be there with you two, yeah?”

  “It’s mighty cozy in those cots, Zeke,” she said, giggling.

  “Cherub, don’t care if you have to lay on top of me, you won’t go through this alone, yeah?”

  “Mmkay. Thank you, Zeke.”

  “For?”

  “Being the man you are - loyal, caring, generous. You treat me and the girls like we are cherished beings, loved beyond words.”

  “That’s because you are all cherished and loved beyond words, Cherub,” he said softly as he leaned down and kissed her. “Now, c’mon, we’ve got a girl who has a date with a doctor.”

  ***

  Back at the hospital, they got Cailyn checked in and even though she was scared, when the nurses brought in a small hospital gown and mask for her doll, she was ecstatic. Her room was a private room and Angelina was happy to see that the “cot” actually pulled out into a full-sized bed. When she remarked on it, the nurse said, “We had so many parents wanting to stay that the decision was made to remodel and renovate so that they could both stay. Hard enough on a child who is undergoing surgery to have to decide whether they want mommy or daddy with them, so we made it easy.”

  “Well, I love it, because I’m not leaving her and he’s not leaving us, so…”

  The nurse laughed, saying, “Yeah, I get it.”

  The most challenging part was when they had to insert the IV. The little girl fought until Zeke came over and cradled her in his arms, crooning to her and telling her what a big girl she was for letting them get her ready for the doctor to make her better. Angelina stood there with one hand over her baby bump, which was more than a bump for some reason, and tears in her eyes at how gently he dealt with the little girl. Within a matter of minutes, the IV was secured and she was settled in her bed once again. He handed her the remote and said, “Since you have the bed with all the gadgets, you get the remote. Want to find a movie, Princess?”

  She grinned shyly as she shook her head yes. He helped her turn the television on and was pleasantly surprised that there was a kids movie button. Once again, the nurse spoke up, saying, “Since this is the pediatric wing, we had them change a few things to make it kid-friendly. One of those things, aside from the sleeping arrangements, was the selection they had on television to watch. All the channels are kid oriented. You won’t find any CNN or ESPN in here.”

  Cailyn found a movie she wanted to watch and settled in, her baby at her side. Angelina got “ready” for bed, slipping into some yoga pants and an overlarge T-shirt while Zeke swapped his jeans for lounge pants. They dimmed the lights except for the one over Cailyn’s bed and before she fell asleep completely, held hands with her while Zeke prayed for the upcoming surgery and a quick recovery.

  ***

  The next morning dawned bright and sunny and they both dressed quickly, not knowing what time they would take her down for her surgery. Hearing a knock at the door, they saw Preacher and Eva walk in with Thad carrying Melora, who was clutching her baby in her hands. “She wanted to see her,” Eva said in greeting. “She was getting upset, so we figured it was best to just bring her up here.” The adults watched as Melora climbed into the bed with her sister so they were snuggled together.

  As they waited, Angelina prayed silently. She asked for forgiveness for not noticing. She gave thanks for a positive outcome.

  Another knock at the door had the adults pausing their conversation. This time, it was the doctor, already dressed for the surgery. “Well, well, well, what do we have here? Two Cailyns?” he asked the two little girls, who were now giggling. “Hmm, so I have to guess which one I’m going to operate on today?”

  More giggles from the girls. “Let’s see-Cailyn has strawberry-blonde…oh, no, that won’t work, will it? You both have the same hair color. Cailyn is the…no, you both look alike! I know, I bet the little girl I’m going to operate on today has a hospital gown on, a band on her arm and a tube in her hand!”

  At that, Melora pointed to Cailyn, saying, “It’s her, doctor, I’m her sister.”

  He smiled at both girls then asked, “Are you going to help Cailyn eat popsicles after her surgery?”

  Wide-eyed at the mention of the “magic word”, Melora merely nodded.

  “Well, let’s get this show on the road then, okay?” the doctor asked as a gurney was brought in by two nurses. “Mom, dad, we have a waiting room for you to stay in that’s near recovery. Either myself or a nurse will be out when it’s finished up to let you know how it goes, okay?”

  Angelina nodded and stood, going over to her daughter who looked so very small on the gurney. “Love you my sweet girl. You’ll be just fine, yeah?” she asked as she bent down and kissed her. “Momma will see you soon.”

  Kisses from
everyone else done with, Zeke held hands with them all as he prayed for the surgery before they wheeled the little girl out, still clutching her baby in her hands. As they passed the surgery waiting room, the nurse pointed it out and they headed in there, four adults and one little girl who was already missing her twin.

  Thad was busy keeping Melora entertained while Zeke and Preacher talked about some upcoming events they were planning, including the foster parent training. Eva had gone down to grab drinks for everyone and Angelina was sitting there, trying to figure out a crochet pattern, when she heard “MOMMA!” in a terror-soaked tone coming from somewhere down the hall. Dropping everything, she ran toward the sound and found her daughter, sitting up in bed grabbing her throat and sobbing. “Shhh, shhh, Caycoo, Momma’s right here. Stop screaming baby, you’ll hurt your throat, okay?” Once Cailyn calmed, she crawled up into the bed with her, careful of the IV, and cradled her while the recovery room nurse checked vitals.

  “It’s not usual protocol for you to be in bed with her, however, if it will keep her calm, I don’t much mind,” the nurse said as she brought over a cup of ice chips.

  “Protocol or not, if she needs me, I’m here,” Angelina said. “Why does she seem so hyper-sensitive?” she asked the nurse, while looking down at the tear-stained face of her little girl who was slowly sucking on the ice chips. Pain still filled her little eyes and it broke her heart. “Can she have some pain meds?”

  “Everyone reacts to anesthesia differently. Once it’s out of her system, she’ll be fine,” the nurse said. “Let me get some pain meds into her IV, it’s important to stay ahead of the pain. We’ve also got a special necklace for you to wear, Cailyn, and we’ll give it to you once we get back up to your room, okay?” At the little girl’s nod, she said, “We’re going to take y’all up to her room now and I guess, mom, you’re going for the ride as well.”

  Angelina looked down and saw how Cailyn had curled herself around her and started chuckling. “I guess I am. Should I do the princess wave or something as we pass people?”